Electricity-meter.



No. 656,|0D. Patented Aug. I4, I900. P. EIBIG.

ELECTRICITY METER.

(Application filed Jan. 20, 1900.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets$haet liz'lwerawr.

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ELECTRICITY METER.

(Application filed Jan. 20, 1900.)

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(No Model.)

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No. 656,l00. v Patented Aug. l4, I900. P. E|BIG..

ELECTRICITY METER.

(Application filed Jan. 20, 1900) 3 Shasta-Sheet 3,

(No Model.)

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Noam: PETER: 00., PHOTO-UTNCL, WASHING UNIT-ED STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

PAUL EIBIG, or BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO MARTIN BEHRENDT,

- oFsAME PLACE.

ELECTRICITY-METER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.656,100, dated. August 14, 1900.

Application filed January 20,1900. Serial No. 2,113. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL E IBIG, mechanical engineer, a subject of the German Emperor, residing at Alexandrinenstrasse, in

the city of Berlin,Ger'many, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electricity- Meters, of which the following is a specification.

In motor-meters with anarmature swinging to and fro between the bobbins of the main current there is, indeed, avoided the rubbing of the brushes, that has an injurious efiect in the case of rotating motor-meters; but there is, however, another source of error in the loss of kinetic energy on the impact of the oscillating system at the moment of the reversal and the elastic counterforce of the currentconductors. are obviated as much as possible by the present invention by means of what may be re: garded as a combination of the principles involved in a motor-meter with an oscillating armature and amotor-meter with a rotating armature. I collector-rotating under the brushes of the ordinary motor-meter, there is "an automatic switchfor example, an oscillating shuntswitchanalogous to the currentreverser in oscillating meters, Whilethe armature is not required to reverse periodically, as in the case of oscillating meters, but can continue its rotation in one direction. 9

Figures 1 and 2 represent, diagrammatically, in front sectional elevation and in plan, respectively, an example of an electricitymeter according to this invention. Fig. 3 is a switch-diagram relating thereto. Figi't is a partial sectional elevation of another example, and Fig. i a switch-diagram relating thereto. Figs. 5 and 6 show the means for operating the counter. Fig. 7 is a detail of a modification having a magnetic auxiliary starting assistance. I

The armature, which may comprise, for example, two crossed shunt-bobbins 5, rotates with the axle 2 (which is rotatable in bearings 3 and 4) in the field of thefixed maincurrent bobbins 1, and'carries the braking device, which is shown, by way of example, as amjetal disk 6, moving between magnets 7. On the axle 2 of the armature there is fixed These disadvantages- According thereto,instea'd of the' the switch 8-in the present case, for example,a four-part switchwhile sliding contactsprings 9 and 10 bear against its faces and are carried so as to be insulated from each other-for example, by the divided small axle 11. 9

The armature 15 of an electromagnet 18 is fixed to an axle 17, on which it can rotate about the axis of the system. The armature 15, which is returned to its original position by the counterforce of a spring 16,is forwardly rotated by the projection 21 of the contactarm 9, which engages the arm 19 on the armature 15. p

The mode of operation of the entire meter is as follows: The current is supplied to and taken from the rotating armature 5 by springs 12 and 1? between which the small axle 11, which is composed of two parts insulated from each other by means of apiece 22,swingsto and fro and conducts the current through the two contact-arms 9 and 10, fastened on the shaft 11, to and from the switch 8, fixed on the axle 2. The two contact-springs of the arms 9 and 10, which press against the switch 8 in the case of the connection of the bobbins to the switch represented in Fig. 3, cause the excitation of the pair of bobbins connected tothese contact-springs for the time being, while the other pair of bobbins, which are at right angles to the pair of bobbins just mentioned, is for the time being not traversed by current. In the case of the connection of the bobbins to the switch represented in Fig.4

the two contact-springs of the arms 9 and 10 cause the corresponding change of polarity in the bobbins. WVhen the current flows through the main-current bobbins 1, the shunt-bobbin system is rotated in one directionfor example, the clockwise directionmoving around with it the switch 8, the contact-arms 9 and'lO pressing against the latter, and current-supplying axle 11 of the arms 9 and 10for example, 'in thearrangement shown, through one-quarter revolutionuntil the projection 21 of the contact-arm 9 bears against the current-closingpiece 20, w hich is located on 19 and is under the action of the spring 16. At this moment in consequence of the contact of 21 with 20 the circuit of the electromagnet 18 is closed, and the armature 15 thereof, which is rotatable on its axle 17, and is thereby attracted, moves back, by means of its projection 19, the projection 21 of the contact-arm 9, and with it the small axle 11 and the other contact-arm 10, so that the current-closing springs 9 and 10 move quickly around the switch 8 and bear against the two other faces thereof. The slipping of the switch 8 under the springs 9 and 10 produces a hardly-perceptible jerk of the armature. After this, since it has received a new impulse through the energizing of the other pair of bobbins 5, that is now effected, the motor-meter rotates in the same direction as previously--for example, again in the clockwise direction-until after a farther quarterrevolution the first phase occurs again and the operation is repeated. During this after the arms 9 and 10 have been pushed back the armature 15 is always returned to its position of rest by the spring 16, which can serve also as a current-conductor, so that the armature 15 executes, for example, only quarter-revolution oscillations, like the contact-arm 9 and the axle 11. The forward oscillation takes place slowly under the action of the armature 5, according to the current strength; butthe return takes place uniformly quickly or instantaneously.

In order to facilitate the starting in the case of very small initialstrength of current, there can be fastened to the current-conducting axle 11 an iron wire, or, for example, a very weak spring 14, which cannot move the armature 5 without the aid of current and which during the backward rotation of the axle 11 is always again placed under slight stress.

The armature 15 of the electromagnet 18,

which swings to and fro, effects simultane-- ously the forward movement of the counter for indicating the consumption.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, upon the iron armature 15 of the electromagnet 18 there is a latch 26, which pushes forward the ratchetwheel 24 on the shaft 23 one tooth at each oscillation. The spring 25 prevents reverse motion. The spring 27 brings the armature back. The wheel 28 on the shaft 23 transmits the motion by means of the wheel 29, fixed on a shaft 30. The latter has a worm 31, meshing with a worm-wheel 32, fixed on the axis of a wheel 33, acting on the first wheel 34 of the counter.

Instead of the current-conducting axle 11 swinging to and fro between the contactsprings 12 and 13 in neck-bearings with fine contact-points fine contact spirals or wires can be connected directly to the contact-arms 9 and 10, or the current-conducting parts 9 and 10 can advantageously be caused to embrace the main axle 2 in collar fashion, as shown in Fig. at, for the purpose of reducing friction, since they both rotate during the measuring. The switching-in of the crossed pairs of bobbins 5 (a large number of which can of course be employed) is simplest, such that, as herein set forth, there is always only the one pair of bobbins excited during each quarter-revolution, Fig. 3; but the known continuous armature-winding can be used, Figs. 4 and 4".

The periodical quick return of the contactarms 9 and 10 serves, in consequence of the small backward impact on the axle 2, also as a means for impeding or preventing a further counting-that is to say, rotation of the armature 5when no current is passing, and, further, allows the already-mentioned employment of a mechanical starting assistancesuch as spring 14, or weight, magnetpieces, or the likeinstead of the otherwise usual starting-bobbin, since this startingspring or the like can always be put into stress again during the backward rotation. Fig. 7 shows how a small magnet 36 may be used as a starting assistance. This magnet 36 is fixed on the contact-carriers 37 and 21, which are periodically drawn back by the relays. This small magnet is influenced by pole-pieces 35, so that a turning movement is exerted upon the axle 2. The poles of the small magnet 36 may be chosen so with respect to the poles of the motor-armature that they afford means for insuring the system against external magnetical influences.

A periodical forward movement of the switching parts in one and the same direction which may be employed instead of the toand-fro movement of these parts would not allow the above-mentioned simultaneous operation of the auxiliary starting-spring or the like and would also render diificult the arrangement of the then-rotating current-com ducting axle 11, together with the contactsprings.

As will be seen, the employment in the manner exemplified of current-conducting parts that swing to and fro periodically, in combination with a rotating motor-armature, renders it possible to obviate the disadvantages attaching to either of the two systems when rotary or oscillatory movement is employed alone.

I claim- 1. In an electricity-meter the combination of a motor having an oscillating armature with a motor having a rotating armature substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In an electricity-meter the combination of a motor having an oscillating armature with a motor having a rotating armature and current-conducting parts which swing periodically substantially as described.

3. In an electricity-meter the combination of a motor having an oscillating armature with a motor having a rotating armature and periodically-swinging conducting parts which are taken along with the rotating armature through a certain angle, a switch carried by the said rotating armature and means for returning the conducting parts on the said switch of the rotating armature substantially as described.

4. In an electricity-meter the combination of a motor having an oscillating armature with a motor having a rotating armature and periodically-swinging conducting parts which are taken along with the rotating armature through a certain angle and a counter acted uponbythe oscillating arlnaturesubstantially as described.

5. In an electricity-meter the combination of a motor having an oscillating armature with a motor having a rotating armature and periodically-swinging conducting parts acted upon by the oscillating armature and taken along with the rotating armature through a certain angle substantially as described.

6. In an electricity-meter the combination of a motor having an oscillating armature and a counter driven thereby with a motor having a rotating armature and conducting parts periodically swung by the oscillating armature and taken along with the rotating armature through a certain angle substantially as described. q

7. In an electricity-meter the combination of a motor having an oscillating armature with a motor having a rotating armature and an axle consisting of two insulated parts which are in connection with the electrical circuit and carrying the conducting-arms for supplying the current to the switch of the rotatin g armature and an electromagnet periodically swinging this axis in one direction substantially as described.

8. In an electricity-meter the combination of a motor having an oscillating armature with a motor having a rotating armature and periodically-swin gin g conducting parts which are taken along with the rotating armature through a certain angle and means for returning the conducting parts and means such as a spring for assisting the turning of the armature in one direction and acted upon in the other direction at each returning of the conducting parts substantially as described.

9. In an electricity-meter the combination of a motor having an oscillating armature with a motor having a rotating armature and periodically-swinging conducting parts which are taken along with the rotating armature through a certain angle and an oscillating armature for switching the conducting parts periodically, this armature having a contactarm switching the current through its own field-coils substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PAUL EIBIG.

Witnesses:

HENRY 'HASPER, WOLDEMAR HAUPT. 

